# Pure Consciousness *On consciousness as our real identity* --- ### Consciousness Is Permanent > So that is described in *Bhagavad-gītā* very nicely, that you are this consciousness. *Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam*. That you are, that permanent, the consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That consciousness is, pure form, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am servant of God." This is pure consciousness. So long my consciousness is designated: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." These are all designations due to this body. But actually I am neither American, neither Indian, nor Christian, nor Hindu, nor Muslim, but I am eternally the servant of God. — [[spoken/1967/670322sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.46, San Francisco, March 22, 1967]] --- ### Drive Away the Cloud of Ignorance > Just like you say in New York when you find a sunshine in the sky, you say, "Oh, today is very nice." Why nice? Because the pure sky is open; therefore it is very nice. And so long it is over., covered by cloud, you don't find so happy. Similarly, if you can, I mean to say, drive away the cloud of ignorance, then you actually becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Cloud of ignorance. — [[spoken/1967/670322sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.46, San Francisco, March 22, 1967]] --- ### Consciousness Cannot Be American or African > [break] But unfortunately I am thinking this is American pains and pleasure, this is Indian pains and pleasure. Pains and pleasure is the same. It is neither American nor African. Pains and pleasure is the same. So as soon as this consciousness, that I am feeling American pains, American pleasure, as soon as this is over, then we come to the original consciousness. Because consciousness cannot be American or African. If I pinch you, the pain felt by you is the same when I pinch the African. So therefore the consciousness is the same. Artificially we are thinking that American consciousness, African consciousness. Actually that is not the position. Simply this misunderstanding has to be cleared out. That is called *ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam*. Is it not a fact? — [[spoken/1974/740327rf.bom|Lecture, Bombay, March 27, 1974]] --- ### Brahma-bhūta Situation > In the *Bhagavad-gītā* you'll find. That is our *brahma-bhūta* situation. The *Vedas* teaches us that "You are not this matter. You are Brahman." *Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.* Lord Śaṅkarācārya, he preached this gospel to the world that we are not this matter; we are Brahman, spirit soul. So that, when that spiritual realization will be actually done, then your symptoms will change. What are those symptoms? Now, *brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati*: "When one is situated in his own spiritual consciousness, then he will have no hankering and no lamentation, lamentation for loss or hankering for gain." — [[spoken/1967/670329sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17, San Francisco, March 29, 1967]] --- ### The Soul Is Ever-Existing > Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ*.* We have already described that this body, this body is *antavat:* it has got end. But the consciousness, or the spirit soul, it is not. It is endless. So the endless, I mean to say, ever-existing soul, being contaminated by this body, he's full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja thinks that in order to realize his self for self-realization, if he gives up all material engagement and takes to the path of self-realization, that is the best way of his life. — [[spoken/1967/670329sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17, San Francisco, March 29, 1967]] --- *5 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on pure consciousness*